The present invention relates to trailer hitch covers and, more particularly, to a cover for the crossbar of a vehicle-mounted trailer hitch, together with a novel group of interchangeably usable accessory components which are integrally mountable upon such cover.
Motor vehicles are typically outfitted with a towing hitch to facilitate the pulling of general purpose trailers, other motor vehicles, recreational vehicles, trailerable homes, or the like. These trailer hitches generally have a crossbar (torsion tube) positioned substantially at the rear of the vehicle which is also readily visible when looking at the vehicle rear profile. Since the hitch is located substantially beneath the vehicle, it is subjected to an environment which includes water, dust, snow, road salts, and the like. Such exposure rapidly deteriorates the painted surface of the typically steel hitch structure, and within a short while rust and corrosion appears, thus detracting from the aesthetics of the vehicle.
A requirement for towing a trailer or vehicle is that, depending upon the configuration of the trailer or vehicle being towed, electrical signals to energize brakes, brake lights, running lights, turn signal lights, and power for various accessory devices, must be transmitted from the towing vehicle to the towed trailer or vehicle. To accomplish this, electrical conductors which are typically housed in a cable are routed to the rear of a vehicle and terminate at a connector located at or near the trailer hitch of the towing vehicle. Such connectors have internal contact configurations which are typically a standard throughout the industry to facilitate the connecting of an oppositely configured connector, which is part of the towed vehicle or trailer. The tow-vehicle connectors are sometimes mounted to the vehicle bumper or to some other structure at the rear of the vehicle. Alternatively, the tow-vehicle connector and cable are sometimes left unattached and simply terminate at the rear of the vehicle, with sufficient length to reach the mating connector and cable of the trailer or towed vehicle. When not in use, they must somehow be anchored but no means are provided for doing that.
While various covers are, as a general matter, known in the art for application to the trailer hitch rear crossbar, there is a need for a system to not only mask and protect the trailer crossbar (torsion tube) but, in addition, to provide safe, reliable, and protective mounting and storage for the cables and connectors associated with towing.